The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Automatic transmissions typically include a hydraulic circuit or system that uses a hydraulic fluid, such as oil, for various purposes throughout the transmission. For example, the hydraulic system may direct oil to various transmission components to act as lubrication between moving components, to act as a cooling system for dissipating waste heat, and to act as a hydraulic control system for actuating various devices.
In many applications it may be desirable to transmit fluid along the length of a shaft, such as a turbine shaft or input/output shaft. However, these shafts are preferably hollow to reduce weight and cost since most of the strength of the shaft is provided by the outer diameter of the shaft, thereby making interior material unnecessary. Various methods have been employed to transmit fluid along the length of a shaft, such as non-concentric bore holes and multiple sleeves. While useful for their intended purpose, there is a need for a device to transmit hydraulic fluid through a shaft that reduces weight, cost, and packaging size while remaining simple and effective.